Reese Fernandez-Ruiz Talks About R2R's Collab With BTS Pop-Up : Space of BTS | ABS-CBN

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Reese Fernandez-Ruiz Talks About R2R's Collab With BTS Pop-Up : Space of BTS

Reese Fernandez-Ruiz Talks About R2R's Collab With BTS Pop-Up : Space of BTS

Grace Libero-Cruz

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Updated Nov 06, 2024 12:54 PM PHT

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The BTS Pop-Up : Space of BTS in Metro Manila officially opened in SM Mall of Asia last November 1. Filipino ARMY flocked to the venue and lined up super early to get their hands on must-have merch items that honor BTS and its members RM, Jin, Suga, V, Jimin, J-Hope, and Jungkook.


The BTS Pop-Up : Space of BTS features a wide array of official BTS merch一from fashion items to homeware to other lifestyle items with special meaning for BTS. We were happy to see covetable pieces from Monochrome, Wootteo x RJ, and the Artist Made Collection (such as Jungkook's Mikrokosmos Mood Lamp and V's Mute Boston Bag); many of which are sold out already on Weverse Shop. But what's most notable about this pop-up is that, for the first time ever, it features Philippine exclusive merch.



The lineup of the BTS Pop-Up : Space of BTS Philippine exclusive merch includes an intricate barong design by Randolf Clothing, a cool Sunnies Flask collection, and stylish and functional pieces by R2R (Rags2Riches).


On the idea behind these special additions, Agno Almario of Apop Collections, a verified local partner of HYBE Merchandise, says, 'For me, personally, when we started conceptualizing this, I didn't want it to be gimmicky or out of place. If we do Philippine merch, I wanted it to have a Philippine flavor talaga, something na tingnan mo pa lang, alam mo na you can only find them here in the Philippines.'

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One of the brands that Agno thought was perfectly aligned with their intention of offering products that are beautiful, meaningful, and carry that distinctly Filipino stamp was R2R (Rags2Riches).


'One thing na, I think, is core du'n sa spirit nu'ng fanbase is we have this term called 'fangirling with a heart.' That's so important to all the key ARMY here,' Agno shared. 'When looking for merch, I really had that in mind. Meron ba tayong p'wedeng gawin na combines both that BTS brand and that desire to really help out? So Rags2Riches, I thought, was a perfect choice. It's very beautiful, excellent, well-made pero using a local textile, made by weavers from urban poor [communities] usually. So every time you buy something from them, you know that you're helping out.'


R2R is a social enterprise founded in 2007. It advocates for lifting Filipino artisans out of poverty and promotes sustainable practices. R2R founder Reese Fernandez-Ruiz found out about the opportunity to join the Space of BTS pop-up a few months ago. And as an ARMY herself, who found comfort and solace in BTS during the pandemic, it was a surreal experience to come up with products that pay tribute to the global supergroup and are likewise useful to her fellow fans.



In a conversation with Metro.Style, Reese shared the story behind this unique and intentional collaboration: 'As ARMYs, we want to make sure that the things we bring to our ARMYs are of good quality and have a good story to them. So, we pitched R2R. We presented some products and then, to our surprise and also happiness and pride, a few items were selected from the batch that we proposed. We were super grateful.'


As someone who deeply understands what it means to fangirl with a heart, Reese admires how BTS and the group's fans advocate for mental health and empowerment. It's so much more than the music of BTS; for Reese, she also looks up to the values of the BTS members. 'I think that's such a beautiful alignment to what we do,' Reese says. 'What attracted me, first and foremost, to BTS is probably also what made the collaboration so aligned. So, kakaiyak!'



R2R's collaboration with BTS Pop-Up : Space of BTS in Metro Manila features handwoven pieces by Filipino artisans, using upcycled fabric in ARMY's favorite colors. The brand reimagined its existing silhouettes to better tailor-fit them to the target market. R2R's Buslo Micro Bag, Pusô Micro Bag, Sobre Bag Charm, and Wonton Bag Charm are part of this collection. They carry R2R's signature woven design, this time in light and dark purple. These proudly Pinoy products were also crafted with genuine leather, a BTS logo zipper puller, a D-ring to attach charms, and high quality gold and brass metal accents.


These items were sold out on the first day of the pop-up alone. The good news, though, is that upon popular demand, R2R is restocking these items and dropping them tomorrow, November 7! Check out this post to know about how you can join the special queue for the bag restock.


R2RR2R's Buslo Micro Bag Photo from @rags2richesinc

R2RR2R's Pusô Micro Bag Photo from @rags2richesinc

R2RR2R's merch list for the BTS Pop-Up : Space of BTS in Metro Manila


'The fashion industry is one of the most polluting in the world. So, R2R, we've been around for the past seventeen years and we've been really trying our best even in small ways to really upcycle while empowering community artisans,' Reese explained. 'So, when we started, we realized that the artisans are using scrap fabric, usually from big factories that have either off-cuts or rolls of rejected fabric. Kasi pala, even pre-production, may waste na… So the pre-production waste, they usually come in rolls and they are rejected because baka may stain somewhere, or may sunog somewhere, or may off-shade. But that doesn't matter to us because we cut them into strips anyway. So we can cut those that are not good and we can help recycle them in a different channel. But for those that we can recycle together with artisans, we do. So the artisans cut these into strips. They knot them one by one.'


It's great to know, too, that with every R2R piece you buy, you get to help the brand's partner artisans. Each of their items comes with a card bearing the name of the artisan behind it. 'That's always been our advocacy in R2R,' Reese emphasizes, 'dapat hindi faceless 'yung gumagawa behind the products.'


So, yes, fangirling with a heart? That idea can morph into something tangible with brands like R2R.



Don't miss out on covetable BTS merch and Philippine-exclusive items from the BTS Pop-Up : Space of BTS in Metro Manila at Level 3, North Main Mall, SM Mall of Asia. Visit it today until December 31, 2024.

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